Yes, I’m on holiday again. To be honest it’s even annoying me speaking about it all the time now. Urgh, I know. Hard life.
There won’t be an Offcuts next week. I’m not sure where I’ll find the time and it’ll be the one-year anniversary of losing my Dad this weekend. I don’t want to put pressure on myself to do it and then fail so I’m giving myself permission right here and now to not do that. Have Thursday’s newsletter scheduled already (so prepared of me) and next Thursday’s is nearly ready as well. So don’t panic, you definitely won’t be lost without me next Monday!
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is what I devoured this week. A gift and a timely read. Reading about grief through the eyes of another will forever fascinate me. The spooky similarities in loss are mystifying. Grief can so often feel lonely and isolating, but seeing it from another perspective only shows the very depths of human connection.
I love finding new places to eat. Last week, I went to Brat with a friend. It never disappoints. The bread with burnt onion butter. Holy hell. New on my food list this week is The Counter. A new Turkish restaurant in Notting Hill with an open-fire charcoal grill. I’ve been drooling over their clotted cream honey sourdough with dukkah and wild thyme honey.
Feel like I can’t talk about this too much or I’ll cry again. The inaugural Rob Burrow marathon, named after the former Leeds Rhinos rugby player, took place a week ago. Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019 and the marathon was the raise awareness and money for the disease and other causes. Fellow rugby player and teammate Kevin Sinfield ran the marathon pushing Rob in a specially adapted wheelchair. At the finish line, Kevin carried Rob in his arms. Then in a beautiful display of friendship kissed him on the cheek. The photos early last week were making me weep like a baby. Such humanity, love and kindness.
Netflix asking me if I’m still watching. How is this pop-up still going? Yes, I am. Of course, I am. I always am. Let me binge the entire new season of Selling Sunset in a space of non-judgement and peace.
“You can't always control your circumstances but you can control how you respond”. I’ve been thinking about control a lot this week. Mostly how to relinquish it. Reminding myself to focus on the things I can control and feeling proud of where I’m at.
